Youth

A 19-year-old man who was born in Mexico but grew up in the United States might be deported Thursday.

His story is not new; the U.S. government deported over 400,000 people this year alone – a record that is expected to be broken next year. However, Deyvid Morales is unique in the sense that, unlike many undocumented immigrants who are deported, he has had the opportunity to speak out about his ordeal.

Ever since the aspiring pastor was arrested by immigration officials on his way to Bible college in Louisiana, Morales has become an outspoken advocate of the DREAM Act – the immigration reform bill that will give undocumented youths the opportunity to earn citizenship by going to college or serving in the military – by using his story as a way to get people to understand the implications of deportation on individuals and families. In the process, he has become somewhat of a celebrity in his hometown of Salt Lake City, appearing in print and on TV, and radio to share his perspective on the immigration issue. more >>

Hollywood elites are more interested in curtailing commercials of soda pop in prime time television than getting a grip on rampant profanity and over-sexed programming during children’s viewing hours, says a prominent media watchdog leader.

Media Research Center president L. Brent Bozell III said it amazes him how some find “sin” in sugary drinks, but no “sin in televised profanity and sexual gymnastics.”

Bozell expressed his concern in a CNS post he wrote, prompted by a recent column by former entertainment executive Laurie David in The Huffington Post, "Thanksgiving Conversation Starter: Is It Time to Ban Soda Ads on Prime Time Television?" more >>

Sending racy photos via text messages is not as common as once thought with the nation’s teens, according to a recent study.

Sending suggestive text messages, or sexting, is only done by 1 percent of the country’s teens, according to the study published in the journal Pediatrics.

"The data suggest that appearing in, creating, or receiving sexual images is far from being a normative behavior for youth," wrote the authors from the University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center. more >>

More than a year after singer and former Disney actress Demi Lovato entered an Illinois treatment center to confront her battles with a range of personal difficulties which included cutting and eating disorders, she revisited the facility, offering lucent words.

Timberline Knolls was once a dark place for the young pop star. She recently returned to speak and encourage other young women who are “fighting their inner demons,” as she says.

Taking to social media, Lovato described the day as “inspiring” and one that brought back “many memories.” more >>

A creative Christian group from the U.K. gives us a look at what the story of Jesus Christ’s birth might look like through the thoughts of Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, and the wise men by posting their imagined feelings during the nine months leading to the baby Jesus’ arrival on Twitter.

Today's news stories of earthquakes, tsunamis, the overthrow of governments, and so on, have all taken on a new dimension thanks to the real-time 140-character and shorter tweets on Twitter. The creators of "Natwivity" are aiming to give the same breaking news feel to the coming of Jesus condensed during the first 25 days of December. It is the second Christmas season in a row for the full project.

The “action” is all tweeted out from one Twitter account with username @Natwivity and the biblical characters doing the texting are identified with hashtag marks. This year, the “voices” of the innkeeper’s wife and a “reporter from the Jerusalem Daily” have been added to the mix. more >>

The president of an evangelical Christian recovery ministry called “Teen Challenge USA” is hoping that people both inside and outside the church will give recognition to the life-changing program during a national day designated to honor the organization this coming Sunday.

The ministry, which is closely connected to the Assemblies of God denomination, states that its mission is “to provide youth, adults and families with an effective and comprehensive Christian faith-based solution to life-controlling drug and alcohol problems in order to become productive members of society.”

Teen Challenge USA began 53 years ago as a ministry led by the late Rev. David Wilkerson, the founding pastor of Times Square Church in Manhattan, N.Y. Wilkerson died, at the age of 79, in a severe car crash in April. more >>